Observations

October is Chicago Artist’s Month, and to get you in the spirit, there will be a reception this Saturday, October 4th from 1-4 PM, along the LaSalle/Clark block of the Riverwalk for a public art project called Chicago Looks, which showcases artwork in portraiture by 40 Chicago artists.

It’s a great privilege for my portrait of Terry, the crossing guard at my kids’ school, to be among the works on display. My painting is between Clark and Dearborn (but this Saturday the snacks are between LaSalle and Clark!), and you can see the city’s webpage about Terry here. You can also browse the portraits by the other artists in the project here, and clicking the links under ‘Chicago Looks.’

Do stop by if you have a chance, but if you can’t make it, that’s ok - the portraits will be up for a few years so you have time to see the show!

Here’s the portrait and the blurb:

30” H x 40” W

“Terry is the neighborhood kids’ real-life superhero: she stops traffic with a single gesture, she remains in the intersection until they have completely crossed to the other side of the street, and she brightens spirits with her good nature and brilliant orange coat. For the portrait, I wanted to highlight Terry’s protectiveness by extending her arm so it crosses the street before the kids do, hinting at the superhuman powers that the youngest children are convinced she possesses.”

Next weekend, September 19-21, ArtXposium will take place in West Chicago; it’s a multimedia art exhibition at 103 W Washington that brings together about 80 artists working in a wide range of media and will include special performances, artist talks and demonstrations, and interactive projects. I’ll have two paintings in the show.

The director, Anni Holm, is taking art exhibitions in a fantastic new direction with this show - very welcoming, interactive, and highly imaginative. She has set up an international artist-in-residence program that coincides with the show, and if you’re interested in a great color catalog of the exhibition, you can get one from the fabulous StepSister Press.

There’s loads of info about the show and events on the ArtXposium website if you’d like to find out more. Hope to see you there!

If you’re in Tennessee this evening, please stop by Davis Art Advisory tonight between 6-9 PM at 75 Arcade for an Opening Reception during Nashville’s Gallery Crawl and see some new pieces I have on exhibit in the ‘Massive Markets’ show, which features selections from my eBay series as well as paintings by Pamela Johnson. The exhibition continues through July 31, so you have some time to see it - say hi to Sera while you’re there!

Huge thanks to Tim Shellberg from the Northwest Indiana Times for the write-up he did on my eBay Painting Series on Friday, May 2; here’s the link (it’s in the sidebar too). The online version doesn’t include the photos that were in print: Cramp, Hovercraft, and Aerate.

Also, there will be a reception after all for the eBay Painting Series at Substation No. 9, 435 Fayette St, in Hammond, IN on Friday, May 30th, from 6 - 8 PM. Jump down two blog entries for the map, and if you’re coming from Chicago, note that the bridge on Calumet is under construction just north of the intersection with Sibley. Hope to see you there!